Jj Abrams Quick Links

Abrams believes Hamill's upcoming performance as Luke Skywalker in 'Star Wars: The Last Jedi' will win him an Oscar in 2018.

Former Star Wars director Jj Abrams has claimed that Mark Hamill’s role in the upcoming The Last Jedi later this year will be of such a standard that he’ll be in line for an Oscar this time next year, saying that he’d be “very upset” if Hamill was overlooked.

65 year old Hamill fleetingly reprised his career-defining role as Luke Skywalker in 2015’s The Force Awakens – quite literally, as he appeared for just a few seconds standing on a remote island in the film’s closing sequence - but it set to have a substantially bigger role in The Last Jedi, released in December 2017.

This is where the Star Trek franchise officially shifts from thoughtful drama into thunderous action. Fast & Furious director Justin Lin brings a kinetic energy to this third chapter in the rebooted space saga, leaping between chases and battles to keep viewers on the edge of their seats. Combined with constant witty interaction, the film is massively entertaining, even if the plot ultimately feels a bit thin.

It's been three years since the crew of the Enterprise started their five-year mission, and they're in need of a break. So they head to the nearest spaceport for some down-time, which is soon interrupted when Captain Kirk (Chris Pine) and his team (Zachary Quinto, Karl Urban, Zoe Saldana, Simon Pegg, John Cho and Anton Yelchin) are called to travel through a dangerous nebula to rescue a kidnapped crew from a villainous thug called Krall (Idris Elba). On arrival, the Enterprise is overwhelmed by Krall's bee-like military swarm. Stranded on a strange planet, the crew teams up with Jaylah (Sofia Boutella), a feisty survivor of one of Krall's earlier attacks. And as they realise the extent of Krall's evil plan, they're not sure that they can stop him.

Anton Yelchin's character Chekov will not be recast in the next 'Star Trek' production as a mark of respect for the late actor who died last month.

Anton Yelchin's character Chekov will not be recast in the next 'Star Trek' production.

The 50-year-old producer of the popular sci-fi sequel has revealed the role of Ensign Pavel played by the late actor - who died last month after being trapped by his own car in an accident occurring on the driveway of his Los Angeles home aged 27 - will not return as a mark of respect for the star.

The 32-year-old actor is to reprise his role as George Kirk, the father that Captain James T. Kirk [played by Chris Pine] never knew, in the forthcoming blockbuster, despite being killed off in the first 'Star Trek' movie seven years ago.

As we approach the 7th anniversary of Michael Jackson's death, director J.J. Abrams and author Tavis Smiley announce that they are uniting to develop a TV show about the last few months of the King of Pop's life. It will be based on brand new book by Smiley himself.

Michael Jackson's final days to play out in TV mini-series

Today (June 21st 2016), Tavis Smiley has unveiled his 'novelistic rendering' of Michael Jackson's last few months of life in the book 'Before You Judge Me: The Triumph and Tragedy of Michael Jackson's Last Days' through Little Brown and Co.. And with semi-fictional accounts of real celebrity events, such as 'The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story', becoming remarkably popular, it will later be turned into a mini-series with Smiley as executive producer alongside 'Star Wars: The Force Awakens' director J.J. Abrams.

Lawrence went to join his table on a night out a few months ago, but Ford didn't know who she was - "he just stared at me!"

She’s the highest-earning actress in Hollywood, but it seems that not everybody knows who Jennifer Lawrence is, as she revealed an embarrassing recent encounter when Harrison Ford gave her a blank stare of non-recognition.

The 25 year old star of X-Men Apocalypse was chatting with British TV host Graham Norton this week, filming an episode of his chat show that is due to air on Friday evening (May 13th). Recollecting the highly awkward incident, she said it happened earlier this year when she was on a night out with comedian Jack Whitehall, and spotted the Han Solo actor dining with Star Wars: The Force Awakens director Jj Abrams.

Jennifer Lawrence recounted the embarrassing incident to Graham Norton on his chat show this week

The British comedy star may just be one of the most unlikely ‘Star Wars’ castings ever.

Ade Edmondson, star of classic TV comedies ‘Bottom’ and ‘The Young Ones’ has reportedly been cast in the next Star Wars movie, Episode VIII. The unlikely casting is said to have come after Ade made a good impression on both director Rian Johnson and executive producer Jj Abrams.

Ade Edmondson has reportedly landed a role in Star Wars Episode VIII.

A source told The Sun: “Ade is one of the most-loved comedy stars in the UK but even he would admit Star Wars is a surprise move for him. While JJ Abrams isn’t directing, he is still heavily involved and he is really keen on British talent.”

Rather than a sequel or spin-off, this is a spiritual successor to 2008's Cloverfield, a terrifically tense thriller that builds a genuine sense of horror. Director Dan Trachtenberg deploys a range of Hitchcock-style tricks to establish characters and crank up layers of intensity, keeping everything unnervingly close to the boiling point. When everything finally erupts, the climax is exhilarating, even if it never quite finds a sense of meaning beneath the surface.

It opens as Michelle (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) is packing up and leaving her flat, driving through the Louisiana countryside. Her fiance (voiced by Bradley Cooper) calls and tries to coax her into coming back, but she drives on determinedly. Then as the radio reports news of rolling unexplained blackouts, she's in a serious car crash and wakes up chained to a pipe in an unfinished room. Her host Howard (John Goodman) claims to have saved her life, bringing her to his fallout bunker just as everyone above-ground was killed by some sort of attack. And there's another guy taking refuge in the bunker, the rather goofy Emmett (John Gallagher Jr.), who like Michelle doubts Howard's story and rebels against his strict rules.

This is a rare film that manages to create thoroughly believable characters in just a few moments of back-story, then push them together in ways that continually surprise us. The snappy script uses wit and suggestion to undermine scenes with subtext as their power games escalate. So the tug of war between these three people has both subtle layers of intrigue as well as some seriously nasty conflict. Where this goes is impossible to predict, because all three actors are so good at portraying characters who are only pretending to trust each other. Goodman has never played a role like this, and is excellent as a nerdy religious nutcase who may or may not be a psychopath. Gallagher adds continual touches that undermine Howard's authority. And Winstead anchors the film as a smart, resourceful woman who refuses to accept anything at face value.

As expected, Jj Abrams' continuation of his monster thriller with '10 Cloverfield Lane' has so far been a huge hit at the box office. It comes in at second place after 'Zootopia', but the mystery surrounding the plot has been enough to pull in the theater-goers.

JJ Abrams has success with 10 Cloverfield Lane

It seems to be all in the marketing. There's been a deliberate air of mystery surrounding the film since the first trailer was spontaneously released at the Super Bowl. We know that the premise is a girl locked up in some guy's bunker, apparently for her own safety though it's obvious she's not completely thrilled with the idea. Something's happened on the outside, but it hadn't been revealed to us what it is before the theatrical release. What we did know is that it was something pretty damn terrifying.

It was revealed to the public just two months before its release that J.J. Abrams had produced 10 Cloverfield Lane, which stars John Goodman, Mary Wlizabeth Winstead and John Gallagher Jr.

"I was surprised every time that people asked me about a sequel," Abrams says of comments about Cloverfield over the past eight years. "I've always thought it's so cool that people cared enough about that movie to want more of it. I knew there was something out there that could justify a continuation, but I didn't want to do the thing that people might expect just for the sake of it. And I know I'm guilty as anyone of being involved in sequels and remakes and reboots and things!"

'Star Wars: The Force Awakens' was praised highly for its diverse approach to casting and storytelling during its release. We had our first female villain in the franchise, as well as a strong female lead, and at least two black characters in the main cast. It was an important change, and director Jj Abrams insists that the future will bring yet more diversity to the film series.

JJ Abrams backs a more LGBT-friendly Star Wars movie

Daisy Rey and John Boyega became part of a milestone for this long-adored franchise when they became the series' first female and black leads respectively. Bold moves for black culture and women's rights, but what about the LGBT community? Will any gay characters be introduced as the franchise continues?

The director has said ‘Star Wars’ is about inclusivity and he could see a gay character joining the franchise in the future.

J.J. Abrams, the director of Star Wars: The Force Awakens has said he wants more inclusivity in the franchise, including future gay characters. Speaking at the US-Ireland Alliance’s annual Oscar Wilde Awards, the director said he would “love” a gay character to be represented in the Star Wars' world.

When asked by the Daily Beast if he could see a gay character in Star Wars’ future, Abrams said: “Of course! When I talk about inclusivity it’s not excluding gay characters. It’s about inclusivity. So of course.”

A surprise spin-off of 'Cloverfield' is set to be unveiled this Spring, with the trailer having just landed for '10 Cloverfield Lane' which sees the return of producer J.J. Abrams. It's a similarly heart-stopping and spine-tingling thriller, with an unknown threat plaguing the story.

An abduction or a rescue? Sometimes they're one and the same

It's not a sequel in the strictest sense; rather, as producer J.J. Abrams put it, 'a blood relative of Cloverfield'. After all, it features none of the same characters or actors as the 2008 film, doesn't share that found-footage aesthetic and certainly isn't about a monster ravaging New York. Err... or is it?

In its second week at the box office, ‘The Force Awakens’ is showing no signs of waning.

Star Wars: The Force Awakens was still pulling in big audiences at theatres over the Christmas weekend and has now passed the $1 billion mark at the global box office. The film is now the fastest ever to reach $1 billion worldwide, doing so in just 12 days.

Previous record holder Jurassic World took 13 days to reach $1 billion globally when it smashed records earlier this year. In the US, The Force Awakens racked up $153.5 million at the festive box office, bringing its US total so far to over $544.5 million.

Abrams looked at the script for Episode VIII (due for May 2017) and apparently began regretting not signing up to direct it, according to his friend.

Having won huge amounts of praise for his direction of Star Wars: The Force Awakens, J.J. Abrams is apparently regretting not signing up to helm the next film.

Abrams’ life-long friend Greg Grunberg – who also has a minor role in The Force Awakens as X-wing fighter Snap Wexley – said that the director recently read the script for Episode VIII and said something highly unusual, for him: that he “wished” he had written it.

There were some nice surprises in cinemas this year, with thoughtful thrillers, quality blockbusters, exhilarating franchise reboots and twists on familiar genres...

10. A Girl Walks Home Alone At NightAn Iranian vampire movie shot in California, this super-cool black and white comedy-thriller is witty, scary and sexy. It's also so original that it takes the breath away.

9. Inside OutPixar triumphs again with this inventive look inside the mind of a young girl struggling with her emotions. It's colourful, hilariously silly and also the kind of movie that can make grown men cry.

It was a predictably out of this world opening weekend for ‘The Force Awakens’, but the film has just missed out on breaking the world record.

Star Wars: The Force Awakens has just missed out on setting the world record for a box-office opening by $7.9 million, according to early estimates. Although the film smashed records around the globe it’s $517m worldwide box office gross puts it second to Jurassic World’s $524.9m record, achieved earlier this year.

The Force Awakens suffered a disadvantage as studio Disney had failed to score a timely release for the film in China. Back in June, Jurassic World arrived on US and Chinese screens over the same weekend, bringing up it’s opening weekend gross.

Bleeding Cool have got their hands on casting details for the new Star Wars film that is about to audition in the UK. What kind of actors could they be looking for though?

Comic book blogsite Bleeding Cool has uncovered the main character casting details for the new Star Wars 7 film, where desirable traits for each auditioning actor are outlined.

The list that sounds more like a lonely hearts column than desired characteristics for the new instalment to the action fantasy franchise, includes such terms as "good sense of humour", "witty and smart" and "thirtysomething male intellectual".

The call for two "late-teen" females will add more firepower to existing rumours that believe that the main protagonist will be female, but seeing as the list isn't in billing order this should still be taken with a pinch of salt.

The director isn't happy, but has to move to film the new Star Wars flick

J.J Abrams is used to living and working in L.A, but he’ll have to endure a change of scenery to shoot Star Wars VII, as the legendary sci-fi franchise is set to resume in the English capital of London.

So secure and happy is he in L.A, Abrams has actually delved into his own pocket to ensure filming takes place there, but Disney weren’t having it with this one; they paid over $4bn for the right to make this movie, and by Jove they’re going to shoot it in London! Speaking at the Produced By conference, he is quoted by The Guardian as saying, "(It) really does make me insane... When you're 13 and 14, it's like, 'F**k that, I don't care what the movie is'..." He adds of the Star Wars project, "It is so massive and so important to people. I think the key to moving forward on something like this is honouring but not revering what came before." In other Star Wars news, and we really love Star Wars news, the franchise is set to begin filming in 2014.

Abrams – the man tasked with the job of revitalising the waning series – says: “It is so massive and so important to people."

Rumours abound that the new addition to the Star Wars franchise - episode 7 - will begin production in January 2014.

Director Jj Abrams has strongly hinted that production for Star Wars VII could begin in early 2014 by revealing that he will be moving his family to London at the end of this year, according to Digital Spy; reporting from the "Produced By" conference (a film production event held in Los Angeles).

Speaking at the conference this weekend, Abrams announced: "We are most likely, if all goes as planned, going to be moving to London at the end of the year for the Star Wars movie."

This comes quickly after May's confirmation that LucasFilm struck a deal with Chancellor George Osborne to shoot the highly anticipated sequel in the U.K, taking advantage of new tax reliefs.

Star Trek Into Darkness eased its way to the top of the box office charts upon its American release this weekend, but it failed to hit the targets set by the money people, and the standards set by its predecessor.

Any doubters that J.J Abrams was the right man for the Star Trek job would have been plunged into further doubt when it was revealed that he wasn’t a fan of the legendary sci-fi show while it was enjoying its pomp in the 70s/80s. But his work on the two films will have appeased worried fans, and he’s opened up on this in an interview with The L.A Times.

“While I was never a fan of “Star Trek,” I love movies, the idea of a big adventure told through a relatable character’s eyes. It’s my favorite thing in the world,” explains the director, who has been confirmed for another sci-fi giant: Star Wars Episode VII. “I knew that when we started doing work on the first movie, we needed to come up with a way that this wasn’t just a “Star Trek” movie, meaning we couldn’t make it for fans of ‘Star Trek’.” Into Darness opened in the U.S yesterday (May 16) and is set to knock Iron Man 3 off the Box Office top spot by tomorrow (Sunday 17). The film is performing well with the critics, too garnering a certified fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes with 87% - still slightly less than his fist Star Trek film, which bagged 95%.

Fan or not, Abrams has done the franchise proud. “I’m not saying it might not have been better if that had been the case, but I couldn’t do that. It would have been disingenuous. For me, I needed to come at it from the point of view of, it’s a story about a young man who, or a group of people who, and kind of just start there at the most fundamental level,” he explains.

Star Trek Into Darkness comes out in the USA this week as one of the most anticipated movies of the year, more crucially still, it appears that it’s set to be one of the critics favourite of the year too – a glut of positive reviews have come the way of Jj Abrams and his assembled cast have received from the American press going into release weekend.

Abrams is shortly to start getting to work on Star Wars – though he’s been evasive about answering any questions to do with that project – but he looks like he’s going to be going into it on form, after the New York Magazine wrote “Abrams has a gift for making us feel as if Star Trek Into Darkness vaulted from our own Trek-ish daydreams.” MSNadded meanwhile “A glorious nostalgia trip, continuing the Star Trek reboot in style through a cunning meld of the best of 1980s action sci-fi with high-end 2013 glossiness.”

The film sees the SS Enterprise asked to return to earth where they discover that a one man weapon of destruction has caused havoc on the home planet, the crew finding themselves in a warzone. It’s a dark story line, but Movies.com still points out the fun side of it. “Remember, this is the summer movie season, where spectacle trumps all, and boy does this movie know how to show off its more spectacular moments. Trust me, you'll have a good time.” Sounds like you’re onto a winner this weekend cinema-goers.

Iron Man 3 and The Great Gatsby coasted along to a one-two finish in the American Box Office charts this weekend (10-12th May) without much pressure. In fact, the only other opening they had to deal with was Peeples, the Tina Gordon Chism-directed film that has faired pretty badly with the critics.

But that’s all going to change this weekend what Star Trek Into Darkness is unleashed on the American people. J.J Abrams’ second Trekkie film has been reviewed almost as well as the first, and the first one was reviewed really well. Benedict Cumberbatch makes his debut in the franchise, playing Khan, while Chris Pine returns as James T. Kirk. The Enterprise’s crew are forced into a battlefield to capture or eliminate one man who could end the universe. And they’re going to do this in 132 minutes! What a way to kick off the weekend! Into Darkness will almost certainly blow Iron Man 3 and Gatsby out of the water on its American debut come May 17th. J.J Abrams will be forgoing his future Trekkie duties, though, as he takes on the Star Wars fanboys in exchange for their affection/disdain.

Pinewood studios is the most likely destination for the lightsaber wielding cast

With all the speculation about who would be directing Star Wars Episode VII, who would star in it, and what the story would be about, no one really considered where it would be shot. As it turns out, a string of tax benefits mean the next instalment of the legendary sci fi franchise will be make in the leafy suburbs of the English capital.

British Chancellor, George Osborne let his followers know the news on Twitter, posting: "Just confirmed: the next Star Wars film will be made in UK. Great news for our creative industries. May the force be with us … ". He added, in an official statement, "Today's announcement that the next Star Wars film will be shot and produced in the UK is great news for fans and our creative industries, and it is clear evidence that our incentives are attracting the largest studios back to the UK"I am personally committed to seeing more great films and television made in Britain." Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy – now owned by Disney - said: "We've devoted serious time and attention to revisiting the origins of Star Wars as inspiration for our process on the new movie, and I'm thrilled that returning to the UK for production and utilising the incredible talent there can be a part of that."

Star Trek Into Darkness has been causing quite a stir online, though it's nothing to do with the film itself, which has largely been praised by critics. Speaking on his and Simon Mayo's radio show on BBC5 Live, Mark Kermode brought up a debate stirring in the Twitter world about the movie's title, before putting it to director Jj Abrams during a phone interview.

Kermode noted that many fans had been left disappointed by the title Into Darkness because Star Trek cannot go into darkness, or anything for that matter. A colon would have sorted this out and detached the two parts of the title, though Abrams argued that it shouldn't be taken too literally and that it only referred to Star Trek as an entity that could move into a darkening periods, "I'd like to start with an apology, I didn't mean to cause.[a fight]" he told Kermode.

Upon discovering that the movie had no colon, one Twitter user, "If "Star Trek Into Darkness" (yup, no colon) is really the name they've chosen for the Abrams sequel, someone needs to slap JJ with a fish." Another said, "Star Trek Into Darkness is the official name of the Star Trek sequel. Should there have been a colon?"

After his successful re-imagining of the Star Trek universe four years ago, Abrams dives even deeper into the mythology, which is thrilling for fans but might leave newcomers feeling a bit lost. This sequel surges forward with action, drama, romance and a lot of comedy while constantly nodding back to the earlier TV series and films. And the smart screenplay finds ways to deepen all of the characters along the way, as well as offering an unusually complex villain.

The action picks up soon after the first film ends, as Kirk (Pine) is once again in trouble for disobeying the Prime Directive not to interfere with a planet's culture. But his punishment is short-lived, as Starfleet becomes the victim of brutal attacks in London and San Francisco, sending Kirk, his first officer Spock (Quinto) and the gang (Saldana, Urban, Yelchin and Cho, with Pegg following later) into enemy space to chase the villainous John Harrison (Cumberbatch). But of course, there's a much bigger story going on, and Harrison has a reason for his violent behaviour, leading to a series of terrifying showdowns as they all return to earth.

While the script is packed with shadowy characters, there's not much actual "darkness" in this movie. It's a pretty bouncy, energetic ride, continually making us laugh at tetchy interaction and throwaway one-liners, all of which are cleverly character-based rather than merely silly gags. This gives each actor a chance to shine, with Pegg and Urban offering much of the humour with their amusing crankiness, while Saldana provides the stereotypical female emotional beats. As usual, the strongest scenes are between Kirk and Spock, and their shifting bromance is well-played by Pine and especially Quinto. But dominating the whole film is a meaty turn from Cumberbatch as a particularly fearsome nemesis who also happens to be both brainy and openly emotive.

JJ Abrams addresses the fact that he isn't a Trekkie in a new interview.

When JJ Abram was first picked up to direct the first Star Trek film he studio executive at Paramount received a considerable backlash after the Lost creator admitted that he isn't even a fan of the cult series. With the release of Star Trek: Into Darkness, many are wondering if Abram's ongoing commitment to the series indicate that he has changed his mind over the game changing TV series and might now be a fan of the show, but is he?

During a recent interview with The Guardian, Abrams discussed his love/hate relationship with the franchise, admitting that his relationship to the sci-fi series has changed dramatically in the time that he has been working on it. He told the paper, in regards to his admittance that he isn't a Trekkie, "Here's the thing: it definitely put some fans off, and annoyed them. I think they think it's me saying, 'I'm better than you.' But I'm not saying that at all...I would rather be honest, and hopefully those fans who see what we've done will say: 'I'm glad the movies have been made and, if anyone cares at all, he's come to love the thing I loved for so long. Better late than never.'"

FOX have announced next season's potential line up, including new projects from JJ Abrams, Andy Samberg, Seth McFarlane and Greg Kinnear.

J.J. Abrams must be one of the worlds busiest men right now, and after recently releasing Star Trek: Into Darknessand pledging his time to the new Star Wars film,he has decided against taking any kind of break as he has yet another project to work on after FOX ordered a pilot episode of his much-shopped Almost Human series.

Almost Human is one of four new dramas to be pickled up by FOX for next season's programming schedule and will see the Lost creator re-team with Fringe's J.H. Wyman and Bryan Burk on a buddy cop series set in a future Los Angeles. The series follows future LAPD officers who are each teamed up with android partners, with Star Trek's Karl Urban, Friday Night Lights' Minka Kelly and Lili Taylor each set to star in the project.

As with all Jj Abrams films, Star Trek Into Darkenss has been hugely shrouded in mystery, with cast and crew giving very little away as to what fans can expect from the forthcoming film. However, with the movie now out today in the UK, some of the actors have been revealing just how about the director goes about keeping things private and how they’ve found it being privy to such a well-guarded project.

Zachary Quinto spoke Star Trek to the Beeb

In a series of interviews with the BBC, Zoe Saldana, Karl Urban, Zachary Quinto, Alice Love and Simon Pegg spoke about trying to keep a hold of as much of the film as possible before it goes out to the public. “I have a hard time going to the movies and watching a movie when I’ve seen its trailer and the trailer has the best moments in it,” said Saldana as to why Into Darkness trailers have been so vague, while Urban pointed out that secrecy was paramount on an Abrams film, commenting “There’s a reason for it. We want audience members to go in there and experience everything for the first time and to not know too much about it.” Quinto added “The secrecy I think is routed in JJ’s respect for and value of the integrity of story-telling and preserving the mystery to actually be able to offer it to an audience rather than have them hear about it or have all the secrets spoiled.”

Benedict Cumberbatch fell victim to some of Chris Pine's pranks on the set of Star Trek: Into Darkness.

Benedict Cumberbatch - the star of the new Star Trek movie Into Darkness - has admitted he fell for cast-mate Chris Pine's elaborate prank on the set of the movie. Appearing on Graham Norton's chat show - set to air tonight (May 2, 2013) - Cumberbatch explained how he was persuaded to wear "neutron cream" to protect him from dangerous lasers.

"We were in a really futuristic laboratory with lasers that were trying to split a target smaller than a human hair to create a continual form of energy," explained Benedict. "And I was like, 'Wow, this is the real deal, what can't we touch? What's safe?" He continued, "I got on set and was told I needed to wear 'neutron cream' to protect me. I was gullible and did what I was told, it's America and there is a lot of health and safety." Pine, 32 - also making an appearance on the show - laughed, "And we told him he had to apply the cream in dots all over his face and there he was doing this really intense scene with sunscreen spots all over him." Cumberbatch, who plays shadowy villain John Harrison in J.J Abrams new movie, took the jibes in good humour, telling the audience, "I should have known. They had me, completely had me. It was really very funny."

Kim Cattrall and Eurovision singer Bonnie Tyler also make appearances on tonight's show, from 10.35pm.

Carrie Fisher says she is squeezing back into her Princess Leia bikini for the J.J. Abrams helmed Star Wars Episode 7, revealing at a Canadian comic convention that Disney were helping her get back into shape for the role. "I'm glad they are doing a new movie because they are sending a trainer to my house so I can get in really good shape. So I'm really eating a lot of sugar in advance, as you can see. By the time I really get down to it I will have eaten everything," she said.

Fisher is known for her sense of humor and it's likely she was talking tongue in cheek, though it has only served to intensify speculation of her return to the franchise. It is known that Mark Hamill and Harrison Ford are in talks to make an appearance in Episode 7. Speaking at the convention, Carrie revealed how director George Lucas banned her from wearing underwear in the first Star Wars movie, "George did not let me wear a bra in the movie," she said, "They used masking tape - except for one scene when Mark arrives and R2 is blown up and we run under the ship. Please look closely at what's happening as I run toward the arriving mark."

Fisher first spoke of returning to the franchise in March. The new movie, one of several planned by Disney, is set to be released in 2015.

Stars speak at CinemaCon 2013 in Las Vegas about much-anticipated new movie

The stars and crew of Star Trek: Into The Darkness have been talking up the forthcoming film in a series of videos that you can watch on Contactmusic right here. Director Jj Abrams, and actors Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, John Cho and Alice Eve have all been talking about the film, which is being hugely anticipated ahead of its eventual release on May 17th.

Against a backdrop of an almighty action sequence from the new 'Star Trek' movie 'Star Trek: Into The Darkness', director Jj Abrams and stars Zachary Quinto, Chris Pine and Zoe Saldana talk about how much the action and scale of the movie has developed from the 2009 movie.

Benedict Cumberbatch plays a mysterious villain named 'John Harrison' in the new Star Trek movie Into Darkness.

Roll up, roll up, see Benedict Cumberbatch as you've never seen him before in the new trailer for J.J. Abrams' Star Trek Into Darkness. The British actor, best known for playing Sherlock Holmes in the BBC's much vaunted series, plays mysterious villain John Harrison in the action sci-fi flick and is seen wreaking havoc in London throughout the trailer.

It's credit to the cast and crew of Into Darkness that little is known of Cumberbatch's character. Rumors last year suggested he was reprising the classic Star Trek villain Khan, though that now appears wide of the mark. The trailer gives little away as to his identity, though the actor is seen sporting a long black coat and throwing various menacing stares. "You think your world is safe, it is an illusion, enjoy these final moments of peace," he cryptically warns in the opening scene before asking, "Your commanders have committed a crime I cannot forgive, none of you are safe. Have I got your attention now?"

The Enterprise crew find themselves in more danger than they ever cared to imagine when London is ravaged by a brutal enemy with only vengeance on his mind. Captain Kirk must take his crew on a deadly mission to restore hope for their planet with every possibility that they could be wiped out in moments by the formidable John Harrison, but it's not just their lives at stake. Friendships and relationships are put to the test and the harder they try and stick together, the further they push themselves apart.

Mark Hamill has confirmed he is in talks to star in J.J. Abrams forthcoming Star Wars movie, Episode 7.

Mark Hamill returning to the Star Wars franchise for J.J Abrams hugely anticipated Episode 7? Could it be? Looks like sci-fi fans are getting a very early Christmas present this year, with news that Hamill - who played Luke Skywalker in the original movies - is in discussions to return for Disney's new film. "It's all very, very exciting and so unexpected," the actor told Entertainment Tonight, "I think that's the quality I like about it most - it's like getting a pair of pants out of the closet you haven't worn in three years and finding a $20 bill in the pocket. It's just so unexpected."

Hamill confirmed "they're talking to us," when asked directly about his involvement in the new film, though interestingly revealed that George Lucas is at the forefront of the casting process. "George [Lucas] wanted to know whether we'd be interested. He did say that if we didn't want to do it, they wouldn't cast another actor in our parts - they would write us out. . I can tell you right away that we haven't signed any contracts." It was thought Lucas would be taking a backseat role in the development of the new movies, though Hamill confirmed the legendary director and producer wants him to meet with writer Michael Arndt and LucasFilm executive Kathleen Kennedy. "Both have had meetings set that were postponed - on their end, not mine. They're more busy than I am," he added.

Hamill, now 61, says he's intrigued about where the new trilogy could go - as are most Star Wars fans - though concedes he knows little about Episode 7. "I probably learn more from Entertainment Tonight than I do directly from Lucasfilm - like for instance, when George told us he wanted to do the next trilogy, he didn't tell us it was going to be done for Disney. He saved that little nugget, and I read it online like anybody else." News of Hamill's potential involvement comes just days after the Latino Review reported exclusively that Harrison Ford would be joining the movie, reprising his role as Han Solo. "I hope we don't overstay our welcome," joked Hamill.

The movie world is on tenterhooks waiting for some kind of official confirmation that Harrison Ford will be returning to the Star Wars franchise as Han Solo. All signs seem to suggest that the rumors are true, but so far, all we have to go on is Fox Latino’s scoop, reported by El Mayimbe (Umberto Gonzalez). He’s insistent that his sources are rock solid but many Star Wars fans will be waiting for an official nod before they truly start to celebrate the news.

“Harrison Ford will reprise his role as Han Solo in the upcoming Star Wars movies. The deal is done. It's huge." That was Umberto’s take on the situation and nobody’s spoken out to deny it, so we’re assuming it’s true… but no one’s counting their chickens just yet. Roger Friedman of 411.com has gone one step further to suggest that not only will Harrison Ford be reprising his iconic role as Han Solo, but Carrie Fisher and Mark Hammill will also show their faces in the new Jj Abrams-directed episode of the Star Wars franchise. Friedman apparently learnt the news some time ago and claimed to know some vague plot details, explaining “It's some time in the future. Han, Princess Leia (presumably with a better hairstyle) and Luke Skywalker will be a lot older. Their children will be the new main characters. R2D2 and C-3PO will be unchanged.”

No official confirmation just yet, but it looks as though Ford may now be feeling grateful that he was unsuccessful in pushing to get Han Solo killed off in Return of the Jedi.

Harrison Ford has reportedly agreed to return as Han Solo in J.J. Abrams forthcoming movie Star Wars Episode VII, for Disney. Latino Review broke the news when the site's El Mayimbe appeared on Fox News Latino to discuss how the website goes about landing its exclusives. He claimed to have taken an informal Twitter poll on which subjects the website's fans most wanted top secret information on. When Star Wars won out, El Mayimbe went on the hunt for casting news.

Announcing his findings, the journalist said "Back in November, Harrison Ford said he was open to returning as Han Solo. But it's official, Harrison Ford will reprise his role in the new Star Wars movie. He's officially coming back as Han Solo. His deal is done, it's just the formalities. I just know the deal's pretty big and significant." When pressed on reports that Harrison Ford wanted his character killed off in George Lucas' previous movies, Mayimbe said, "I suspect that he may get his wish finally in one of these Star Wars movies, maybe not." Back in November, Ford had indicated that he'd be up for reprising the role, with J.J. Abrams reportedly keen on bringing back the original characters, including Luke Skywalker, Han Solo and Princess Leia.

In many ways, the casting really doesn't make sense, though perhaps Disney are planning to reintroduce the old character with Harrison Ford in Star Wars Episode 7 before having a younger actor playing him in a movie spin-off focusing on his origins?

It looks like Benedict Cumberbatch may have lined himself up yet another hotly sought after role as he has emerged as the front runner to take on the role of Alan Turing in an upcoming biopic.

According to Deadline, the Sherlock star, who is currently filming The Fifth Estate - in which he plays WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange - now looks set to take on the role of the Enigma-breaker after Leonardo Dicaprio pulled out of the role. DiCaprio had long been considered for the role of Turing, but following his recent announcement that he is to take time off from acting it looks as though Brit-actor Cumberbatch will be the man for the role. The biopic will be based on Graham Moore's account of Turing's life, The Imitation Game.

Turing was something of a forgotten hero in British history until recent years, greatly aiding Britain's war effort against the Nazis by helping break the Germans' 'unbreakable' Enigma code, used to send commands between military posts. Also considered to be the father of modern computing, Turing's life ended in tragedy after he was convicted of gross indecency seven years after the war for being part of a (then illegal) homosexual relationship. 2001's Enigma was based loosely on the Bletchley Park's codebreakers triumphs during the war, but was heavily criticised for writing out Turing in favour of a heterosexual man named Jericho.

With the recent announcement that J.J Abrams will helm Star Wars Episode 7, it's fair to say that most fans weren't thinking soley: 'Oh no! What will happen to the 3D releases!?'

So it's probably not too much of a hit to the sci-fi fraternity that they've been delayed. Disney have decided to put back the 3D rehash so they can concentrate on the upcoming Star Wars reboot, Deadline report. "Lucasfilm has decided to postpone this fall's scheduled release of 'Star Wars' Episodes II and III in 3D. Given the recent development that we are moving forward with a new 'Star Wars' trilogy, we will now focus 100 percent of our efforts on 'Star Wars: Episode VII' in order to ensure the best possible experience for our fans. We will post further information about our 3D release plans at a later date." Deadline had initially reported that the project was cancelled, but that official statement from the Star Wars website confirms it's more of a postponement than a cancellation.

In reality, the first 3D Star Wars adventure will be released in the months prior to Episode VII. It just makes sense, doesn't it? Months of speculation and anticipation semi-quenched by a dose of 3D Star Wars nostalgia; watch this space.

Yesterday (Jan 25) it was announced that Jj Abrams would be the man to take over from George Lucas and step behind the camera for the upcoming reboot of the Star Wars franchise, and Lucas believes that Abrams is the man for the job.

"[Star Wars] couldn't be in better hands," Lucas said in an official statement yesterday, adding that Abrams is the "ideal choice" to shoulder the responsibility. Let's hope so!

Abrams had initially ruled himself out of the running, as had a number of other potential directors, including Guillermo del Toro, but is said to have finally caved into the idea after Lucasfilm's Kathleen Kennedy, the new movie's producer, won him over with her pitch, The Hollywood Reporter claims. She said in her official statement, "It’s very exciting to have JJ aboard leading the charge as we set off to make a new Star Wars movie. JJ is the perfect director to helm this. Beyond having such great instincts as a filmmaker, he has an intuitive understanding of this franchise."

You can't get away from Jj Abrams right now, the man had more fingers in different pies than he knows what to do with and now he has dived into another project, this time he's producing a pilot for a potential new series for NBC.

Abrams is currently working with Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban director Alfonso Cuaron on a new drama called Believe, the network revealed today. Cuaron will be serving as the writer and executive-producer alongside Mark Friedman, the creator of The Forgotten, with Abrams and his Bad Robot Productions partner Bryan Burk also producing. Believe is a super-natural series that will centre on a gifted and powerful young girl who is protected from evil forces by a recently-released convict.

On top of this latest project, the Lost creator was also unveiled as the man to take over from George Lucas on the latest reboot of the Star Wars franchise today and also has another TV project in the pipeline on top of another, un-named, pilot. This other project, which is being commissioned by FX and is yet to be titled, takes place "in the near future, when all LAPD officers are partnered with highly evolved human-like androids," the official press release says.

With the speculation over who will direct Star Wars Episode VII laid to rest, we thought it would be fun to reflect on the quotes leading up to it, which, if believed, make it very difficult to believe J. J Abrams is directing a new Star Wars film.

Coming in at third is George Lucas talking to Vanity Fair in 1999. The creator of the now infamous sci fi franchise all but ends speculation of more than 6 films here. "When you see it in six parts, you'll understand," he said. "It really ends at part six." He added, "I never had a story for the sequels, for the later ones."

Second is the current director of Star Wars, J.J Abrams, reaffirming his loyalty to the Star TREK brand, and seemingly turning down the job with Lucasfilm. "There were the very early conversations and I quickly said that because of my loyalty to Star Trek, and also just being a fan, I wouldn't even want to be involved in the next version of those things. I declined any involvement very early on. I'd rather be in the audience not knowing what was coming, rather than being involved in the minutiae of making them." Guess the force was just too strong, eh J.J?

After months of speculation following Disney's acquisition of Lucas Arts and the announcement of three more Star Wars films, the director for Episode VII has been announced, and it's sci fi giant J.J Abrams.

The man who created or co-created television shows like Lost, Fringe and Alias, and who directed Mission: Impossible III, Star Trek and Super 8 is set to helm arguably the biggest film franchise of all time, The Wrap reports. And he'll probably be one of the more popular choices amongst supergeek fans and mainstream cinema goers alike. Also in the running was Argo's Ben Affleck, but Abrams sci fi credentials seem to have edged him in front after he'd initially 'turned down' the job back in July. It'll be a strange transition for the director, who, of course, has been credited with reinventing the Star Trek franchise, and is currently working on a sequel. Will he be able to do the same with Star Wars? The series is certainly in need of a boost considering the last three films have been somewhat of a disappointment.

Now that the director is settled, rumours and gossip can turn towards more important matters, like what the actual story will be about, and who will play Luke, Han and Princess Lea.

Jj Abrams - the writer and producer behind the forthcoming Star Trek movie - has discussed the secrecy behind his various projects and explained while he refuses to offer fans bonus footage before release dates. The creator of Lost is known for keeping the details of his projects under wraps, though insists it's for the viewer's overall benefit.

"I will sit in a meeting before a movie with 80-some people, heads of departments, and literally say that all I ask is that we preserve the experience for the viewer," Abrams told Entertainment Weekly, "Every choice we make, every costume fitting, every pad of makeup, every set that's built - all that stuff becomes less magical if it's discussed and revealed and pictures are posted online. I just want to make sure that when somebody sees something in a movie they didn't watch a 60-minute behind-the-scene [video] that came out two months before." The hype for Star Trek Into Darkness is beginning to reach fever pitch, with both Abrams and several of his cast-members getting hacked-off with the clamour to discover who Benedict Cumberbatch will be playing. Fans and reporters have suggested the British star will portray legendary villain Khan, though pretty much everyone involved with the project has denied this. Abrams hinted at the speculation, saying, "It's only fun to keep things quiet when it finally comes out as scheduled, because then you feel like, 'Oh I didn't just spend six months ruining the movie for people.It's not fun during the experience of withholding. Because then you sound like a coy bastard . and you're sort of being a jerk."

Star Trek Into Darkness - also starring Zachary Quinto and Chris Pine - hits cinemas in the U.S. and UK on May 17, 2012.

Stars Wars creator George Lucas, who recently sold his company LucasFilm to Disney, is to marry his long-time girlfriend Mellody Hobson, it was reported on Thursday (January 3, 2013).

According to Reuters, no date or location has been set for the nuptials, though it will be the legendary producer and director's second marriage, after he tied the knot to film editor Marcia Lucas in 1969.

Hobson, 43, holds a pretty high profile job in the film industry too. She serves on the board of directors for Hollywood studio Dreamworks Animation, as well as for cosmetics company Estee Lauder, coffee-house chain Starbucks Corp and internet company Groupon. Basically she's in charge of everything.

With all the talk about who the Star Wars Episode 7 director will be, who will star in the film and what it'll be about, it's nice for some of those mooted to be involved to state their position. J.J Abrams' position is a firm 'not for me'.

It's not as though he's been asked directly to helm the highly anticipated Disney film, which will see a previously closed up franchise re-opened. But after a chat with producer Kathleen Kennedy, according to The Hollywood Reporter, he's decided to nip the possibility in the bud. "Because of my loyalty to 'Star Trek' and also just being a fan, I wouldn't even want to be involved in the next version of those things," Abrams said. "I declined any involvement very early on. I'd rather be in the audience not knowing what was coming, rather than being involved in the minutiae of making them."

Talking to Trekmovie.com about his beloved and upcoming Trekkie movie, Star Trek Into Darkness, which is due for release next year, Abrams said the following: "This is very much a movie about hope, about love, about romance, and about facing something that is truly terrifying and finding a way through the connection of your family and surviving and being stronger afterwards."

As always, we'll need to sift through a vast number of sequels and remakes to find something original next year. But here are a few things worth looking forward to. Of course, release dates are subject to change...

Captain Kirk and his formidable Enterprise crew are back and this time danger is closer than they think. On returning to their home planet, they discover that a ruthless force integrated among them has caused massive destruction among the Starfleet and left their planet in total disaster. Kirk and the crew must band together for a life threatening mission that could destroy them all as they set out in a war against this terrible threat. But this time, lives are not the only thing at stake; friendships will be tested, hearts will be broken and Kirk must make sacrifices against his Enterprise family in order to finally settle the score with an old foe.

'Star Trek Into Darkness' becomes the twelfth 'Star Trek' movie since the sci-fi series released the first one, entitled 'Star Trek: The Motion Picture', in 1979. It serves as the sequel to the simply named 2009 film 'Star Trek' and has been directed by the same person J.J. Abrams ('Super 8') with writing credits from Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman ('The Legend of Zorro', 'Transformers', 'Cowboys & Aliens') and Damon Lindelof ('Prometheus'). It will finally hit screens after much anticipation on May 17th 2013 in the UK.

British actor Benedict Cumberbatch was left stunned after an overeager group of paparazzi mistook his young niece for his new girlfriend. The Sherlock star was snapped celebrating his Golden Globes nod on Thursday evening (December 13, 2012), though photographers presumed he was romancing his niece Emily!

Cumberbatch told the Associated Press, "I went out with my niece, who is my PA Emily, and we got papped to the point that I couldn't actually see and I had to put my head down and just blink a couple of times. I was trying to get in the car with her and so immediately they presume, 'Ah, beautiful blonde...'" Cumberbatch has risen to become one of the Hollywood's most recognisable stars, though his real concern was for his young niece. "Poor girl, she's never experienced that before. I've never experienced that. (There was) like 15 of them hanging off the bonnet of the car." The Daily Mail ran the story with the headline, "Benedict Cumberbatch celebrates his Golden Globe nomination with a date night at the cinema," writing, "Benedict, 36, was spotted leaving the Electric cinema in Notting Hill with a blonde female companion."

A trailer for Jj Abrams' forthcoming Star Trek sequel Into Darkness emerged online this week, with fans getting their first glimpse of Benedict Cumberbatch in full on villainous mode. His creepy voiceover and broody presence is the clear highlight of the short clip, though the details of his exact role are still yet to be firmed up.

The Sherlock star, who also appeared in Spielberg's War Hose, is rumored to play iconic Star Trek villain Khan, though his co-star Simon Pegg denied the speculation earlier this year. The genetically engineered tyrant was played by Ricardo Montalban in the 1982 movie Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, though Cumberbatch's character doesn't share any physical similarities. He is also seen wearing a Star Fleet uniform in the trailer, again hinting that he's probably not Khan.

Nevertheless, Cumberbatch's fearsome character certainly looks the part and the British star does a great job of establishing menace. "He is very ruthless . He is not a clearly good or evil character," the actor told the Radio Times of his mystery villain, "He is a villain but the actions he takes have intent and reason. He is a complicated character not to be judged by white-or-black, or good-or-evil. But this is the appeal of JJ's works and [why] I felt challenged as an actor." The actor has been knocking on the door of the major awards' ceremonies for a couple of years now, and it may well be his role in JJ Abrams sequel that enables him to get his hands on some silverware.

The first trailer for Jj Abrams' Star Trek sequel Into Darkness has emerged online today (December 5, 2012), with trekkies already drooling all over their keyboards at the menacing voiceover provided by Benedict Cumberbatch. It's been long rumored that the British star plays the iconic villain Khan, though does the trailer lend credence to the speculation?

In a tone not a million miles away from Tom Hardy's Bane in The Dark Knight Rises trailer, Cumberbatch's character forebodingly asserts, "You think your world is safe, it is an illusion, a comforting lie told to protect you, enjoy these final moments of peace, for I have returned, to have my vengeance.so, shall we begin?" The reference to a 'return' has left Star Trek fans in no doubt that Cumberbatch plays Khan Noonien Singh, a villain genetically engineered to be the perfect human. He is equipped with super strength, superior intellect and is a master strategist. In the trailer, Cumberbatch sits on the captain's chair and basically causes mayhem. The character was portrayed by Ricardo Montalban in both the television episodes and the 1982 movie Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan.

Though fans appear set on Cumberbatch as Khan, his co-star Simon Pegg categorically denied that was the case during an interview with The Telegraph earlier this year. "It's not Khan. That's a myth. Everyone's saying it is, but it's not. I think people just want to have a scoop. It annoys me - it's beyond the point to just ferret around for spoilers all the time to try to be the first to break them," he said. Cumberbatch himself told Shortlist magazine, "Yep, it's yet another thing I can't talk about [laughs]. I'll tell you this, it's iconic and it's exciting. I'm bored of denying that it's Khan now, because people keep saying it."

We've been covering Disney's acquisition of Lucasfilm, and their decision to put Episode 7 and two subsequent films into production, even though George Lucas had them in mind. Now it's time to see what the folks of Hollywood think.

Perhaps a good start would be Ewan McGregor; the Scottish hunk did a pretty good job of playing Obi Wan Kenobi, and might be in line for a return come 2015 (the purported date for Episode 7). "Disney have bought Lucasfilm and are planning on releasing Star Wars ep 7 in 2015!! Congrats George and best of luck with whatever is next," he posted on his twitter page, before posting "Wonder if they will need any Obi-Wan Hologram action??! #ep7 #donthecloakagain #thesearenotthedroidsyourlookingfor #movealongmovalong". Jj Abrams - big in the sci-fi game after directing the excellent Star Trek movie, as well as producing Lost - told Entertainment weekly "Part of me? Thrilled. Part of me? Terrified. Most of me? Thrillified." We're still wondering which part is bigger, but we'd plump for the latter. Bob Orci, who worked with Abrams on Star Trek, cheekily tweeted "Great Here comes another Trek ripoff ;)" Oooh.

Will Wheaton aka Wesley Crusher, or himself in some episodes of The Big bang Theory, added to the Star Wars twitter exploding by posting ,"OMG you know what the Disney purchase of Star Wars means? DANCING JAR JAR IN DISNEYLAND PARADES. We have to go back in time to fix this." Why so cynical Wheaton? Oh, actually we think we've got it.

Matthew Perry may very well be ‘back’. The 43-year-old – of course best known for his long running turn as Chandler in ‘Friends’ – can currently be seen in new NBC comedy ‘Go On’, which is scoring very solid ratings.

According to Entertainment Weekly, the show pulled in 9.3 million viewers for its third week, hardly down on the first two episodes at all. He’s launched several shows since ‘Friends’, though ‘Go On’ is looking like a keeper. The half-hour ‘dramedy’ follows Perry’s character Ryan King – a sportscaster who tries to move on from the loss of his wife in group therapy. So why is ‘Go On’ succeeding when ‘Studio 60 On The Sunset Strip’ (written by Aaron Sorkin) and ‘Mr Sunshine’ (not written by Aaron Sorkin) failed? Well, Jesse Carp of CinemaBlend.com appeared to hit the nail on the head by suggesting, “A little bit Role Models, Community and even My Name is Earl (the reluctant lead helping oddballs in a group situation), Go On has carved a niche that seems both old and new, which is perhaps the perfect mix to snag viewers as well as produce the kind of quality comedy not always found (or sustained) on network television.” Proving that he’s equally adept at handling the drama as well as the comedy, Perry could really be onto something with his latest offering.

Elsewhere in the ratings this week, Jj Abrams new NBC show ‘Revolution’ – about life without electricity – pulled in 11.7 million viewers. Though great news for network bosses, the drama was clearly given a helping hand by lead-in ‘The Voice’, which boasted 13.4 million viewers.

There's a zing of postmodern fun to be had while watching a film that documents itself being made. And while it's a clever look at the secret world of product placement, you never quite feel like the movie itself really gets up to speed.

In order to make a documentary about the shady world of brand integration in films and television, Spurlock decides to sell his new project to the highest bidders. And discovers that there's a parallel world of public relations, advertising, product specialists and neuro-marketers who make a lot of money doing this. After a slow start, sponsors climb on board, and Spurlock makes sure to keep their products on-screen as he conducts interviews with experts.

JJ Abrams and Steven Spielberg team up for this enjoyable alien thriller, which feels exactly how we nostalgically remember Spielberg's late-70s movies. But it's not nearly as earthy or thrilling as they actually were.

In 1979 Ohio, Joe (Courtney) is struggling with the fact that his mother has died in an accident. But it's summertime, so he and his pal Charles (Griffiths) decide to make a zombie movie with their friends (Lee, Basso and Mills).

Enlisting the help of their hot schoolmate Alice (Fanning), they are shooting a scene when they witness a train crash and some suspicious ensuing military mayhem. Suddenly the town is under the control of a harsh general (Emmerich), while Joe and his friends know a lot more than he thinks.

Ever make someone else the brunt of a practical joke -- only to learn the joke is really on you? The characters in Joy Ride have, and after the lessons they learn, you can bet they'll never, ever tease anyone else again.

Joy Ride has clearly learned from similar, high-octane road thrillers like Breakdown. It calculates every move, but seldom do we see the surprises coming. The film explores the misadventures of a college student named Lewis (Paul Walker). Lewis is a nice guy, having just bought a used car to travel all the way across the country to help a friend in need (Leelee Sobieski). Along the way, he also stops to post bail for his troublemaking brother, Fuller (Steve Zahn), and give him a ride as well.